Latching means for automatic telephone dialer



Oct. 29, 1968 J. w. HEALY 3,408,641

LATCHING MEANS FOR AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE DIALER Original Filed Oct. 29,1962 INVENTOR. JAMES M. HEAL) l 3,408,641 I LATCHINGMEANS FOR AUTOMATICTELEPHONE DIALER James W. Healy, Wakefield, Mass., assignor to DasaCorporation; a corporation of California" Continuation 'of applicationSer. No.'233,601, Oct. 29,

1962. This application 06.31, 1966, Ser- No. 595,29

3 Claims. (Cl. 340-174.l)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE For use in an automatic telephone dialer-inwhich a repertory of names and associated telephone'numbers isrecordedin a removable magazine,- a latching arrangement to uniquelyposition the magazine relative-to the-dialer body when the dialer isoperational. The latching arrangement includes complementary arcuatelips formed on the magazine and on the adjacent portions of the dialerbody, together with a spring load latch, the arrangement being operativeto simply and accurately" position the magazine in the dialer. 1

This application is a continuation of my application Ser. No. 233,601,filed Oct. 29, 1962, now abandoned,

This invention relates to locating and securing means for removableplates and particularly means for use in machines wherein a platefitting an opening in a machine wall or frame carries components forregistry-with other machine components wherein such registry must besecure and precise to insure proper operation of interrelated parts inthe machine and on the plate.

The machine is described herein in its application to an automatictelephone dialing machine in which a tape bearing subscribers names andcoded telephone numbers is supported between storage spools so that itmay be adjusted to present a subscribers name to a viewing station andsimultaneously the coded subscribers number to a decoding station wherethe number is translated into impulses in a telephone circuit. It isdesirable that the tape in its mounting or so-called magazine be readilyremovable for the purpose of typing names thereon or for replacement bya different tape. The precise position of the tape is critical withrespect to the decoding mechanism of the machine and with tape adjustingmeans carried by the machine. The applicability of the invention toother environments will, however, be readily apparent from anunderstanding of the ensuing description.

It is the object of the invention to provide a locating and securingmeans for removable plates which is inexpensive to manufacture, simpleto assemble and disassemble and capable of extreme precision in locatingthe plate in its assembled position.

Further objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in whichit is carried into practice are made apparent in the followingspecification by reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing: I

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation with parts broken away and parts insection of a tape magazine shown as secured in position on the bottomplate or wall of an automatic dialing machine;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating locking means for securing thecartridge in position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the plateand wall in spaced relationship illustrating the configuration of spacedarcuate interlocking lips on interengaging edges of the plate and wall;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged section on the line IVIV of FIG. 3illustrating the position of the interlocking lips just prior toassembly of the plate in the wall; and

3,408,641 Patented Oct. 2 1968 FIG. is a view like FIG. 4 butillustrating the plate as moved toward its finally assembled position. a

While the locating and securing means of the present invention is notrestricted in its use to telephone dialing machines, a brief descriptionof the tape magazine illustrated in FIG. ,1 will facilitate anunderstanding of the construction andoperation of the inventionpresently to be described. v

In FIG. 1, a base plate 10 is shown as supporting spaced frames, one ofwhich is shown at 11 between which are mounted, spools 12 and 13 uponwhich an elongated tape is wound, the tape being shown at 14. Fromthespool 13, the tape is trained over a fluted roller 15 to expose aportion of the tape as at16 with a codedtelephone number. This numbermay be encoded on the tape in spaced magnetized bits which are scannedand translated as impulses in a telephone circuit by a suitabletransducer 60. From the fluted roller 15, the tape is trained over guiderolls 17 and 18 to present its opposite surface above a table 20whichfacilitates the writing of a subscribers name on the tape. When thetape is adjusted to bring the name, so written, into view at a stationindicated by the arrow 22, the coded number on the tape corresponding tothe name occupies the position 16. The tape is then further trained overa guide roll 21 from which it passes to spool 12. The tape is constantlytensioned by spring means in or adjacent to the spools 12 and 13 and maybe adjusted from one subscribers number to another by suitable means(not shown) contained within the machine for imparting rotation to thespools.

The entire magazine is secured and located with respect to the machineby interengagement with the bottom wall 23 of the machine through thelocating and securing means of the present invention. At one end, theplate 10 is connected with the bottom wall 23 by spaced arcuateinterlocking lips generally indicated at 25 in FIG. 1, presently to bedescribed, and at the opposite end is latched in place by meansassociated with the table 20. This table includes a flat writing surfacesupported between a pair of downwardly extending brackets, one of whichis shown at 27, pivotally supported on a shaft 28 and urged toward thenormal position shown in FIG. 1 by a spring wound about a shaft 28 andhaving an end 30 bearing against a pin 31. The table also has a pair ofupstanding gears 32 between which a small guide roller 33 is journaledfor the purpose of retaining the tape in contact with the surface of thetable. A pair of pins, one of which is shown at 34, extend outwardlyfrom the brackets 27 and engage in angularly shaped slots 35, shown inFIG. 2 as formed in plates 36 which extend upwardly from the bottom wall23 of the machine. The normal latched position of the pins 34 and theslots 35 is illustrated in FIG. 2 and when it is desired to move theplate 10 and its magazine from the machine, the guide roll 33 is presseddownwardly and rearwardly to rotate the table 20 about its supportingshaft 28 whereupon the pins 34 are free to move downwardly in the slots35 permitting the entire plate to rotate about the axial center of thespaced arcuate interlocking lips 25.

The lips 25 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as comprising two large lips 38and 39 on the plate 10 with a smaller lip 40 disposed between and spacedfrom them. The wall 23 has two small lips 41 and 42 adjacent the edgesof an opening 43 into which the plate 10 fits. A large lip 44 isdisposed between the lips 41 and 42. All of the lips are arcuate andformed on common centers with the outer surfaces of the small lips 40,41 and 42 being formed on the same radius as the inner surfaces of thelarge lips 38, 39 and 44. Therefore to assemble the plate 10 in the wall23, it is first disposed at right angles to the wall as shown in FIG. 4and then swung upwardly about the axis of the lips through the positionshown in FIG.

where the'pi'ns 34 have ridden up inclined edges 46 of the slots 35 andentered theQConfining upper edges of the slots under influence of thespring 30. Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 5, the manner in which thelarge li'ps on the plate 10 and the wall 23 pass over and becomeinterlocked with the small lips upon swinging movement of the plate isapparent. i

In FIG. 3', the arcuate lips on the plate and wall are shown asseparated by notches having interengaging inclined edges 50 on the plateand 51 on the wall which come together with a camming or wedging actionprecisely and positively locating the plates against lateral dis,-placement after assembly. The interengagement of the large and smalllips as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 precisely locate the plateagainstvertical andlongitudinal displacement. Since all'of the lips are made bya simple die forming operation, precision is insured which enables anyplate and cartridge to be readily and accurately asso ciated with anymachine insuring proper-relationship of interrelated and interengagingmachine and magazine parts.

What is claimed is:

1. In a repertory dialer having a magnetic'transducer and a removablemagazine for a tape-like magnetic record medium, positioning means forsuch magazine to ensure unique positioning of such recordmedium relativeto such transducer, such means comprising:

(a) a first and a second projection afiixed to the repertory dialer,each such projection having an in clined surface;

(b) a third and a fourth projection afiixed to the removable magazine,the third projection having an inclined surface complementary to theinclined suri cezqt .thevfir t pt icqt naasl, th f r h p e t n "havingan inclined 'surface complementary to the inclined surface of the secondprojection; and (c) a latch, one element of which is affixed to therepertory dialer and one element of which is affixed to the removablemagazine tq lock such magazine in place relative to the repertory-dialerwhen the first and third and the second and fourth,.projections aremated,--thereby uniquely;.to position-the tape-like l record mediumrelative .to the magnetic transducer. 2; Ida repertory dialer,positioning means asin claim lwherein:

(a) the first, second, thirdand fourth projections are interleavedarcuate hinge sections; and Y (b) the inclined surfaces'areformed'on thesides of such hinge sections. a, 1 3; -In-a repertory dialer,positioning meansas in-claim 2 wherein the element of the latchafiixed-to the removable magazine is pivotably mounted and, further, isformed .withan integral extension plate passing under the tape-likerecord medium, to serve as a writing platen when theremovablemagazine-isin place in the repertory dialer. I

References Cited Skurdal 16-172 BERNARD KONICK, Priliuary Examiner. A.I. NEUSTADT, Assistant Examiner.

